Amusement device.



W. S. TOTHILL.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1912.

Patented June 15, 1915.

WILLIAM TOTI'IILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915..

Application filed November 29, 1912. Serial No. 734,093.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. TOTHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to amusement devices of the type comprising a standard and a pair of oppositely-disposed bars supported by said standard in an inclined position at such a distance apart that a user can readily seat himself astride of the bars with the bar at each side in the crook of the leg at that side. Heretofore devices of this sort have been built using bars of tubular metal and other devices have been built using bars of wood. The metal bars, however, are very objectionable for the reason that in summer they become so hot during the major portion of the day that they cannot be used and that in winter they are so cold that they cannot be used properly. The extreme heat of the bars in summer and the extreme cold of the bars in winter add very greatly to the likelihood of accidents, inasmuch as the extreme of temperature oftentimes takes the user by surprise, balance is lost and a fall ensues. The use of wooden bars is not quite so objectionable, but these bars too are far from satisfactory. There are very few kinds of wood suitable for slide bars of this type, in view of the danger of slivers. It has been found that hard maple is very satisfactory for this purpose. It has been found, however, in practice, that a slide-bar consisting of a beam of maple, even though made quite heavy and of considerable width, when placed in an inclined position as is necessary foiuse in such a device as this and exposed to the sunshine and the rain continuously, in the course of a few months becomes so twisted and Warped as to very greatly impair the utility of the device.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a construction which shall avoid the diiiiculties above noted.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

The means by which I have accomplished these objects are illustrated in the accomwith the result that the panying drawings and hereinafter specifically described.

That which I believe to be new is set forth In the claims.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of my device as viewed from the opposite side; Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 3, being substantially a section on line H of said figure; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail, being taken on section line 55 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by like reference characters,-10 indicates a standard of any appropriate type to the cross-bar 11 of which there is secured by means of brackets 12 the upper end of a ladder 13, the lower end of which is suitably supported in any appropriate manner.

1ll5 indicate tubular bars connected at their upper ends in any suitable manner to the brackets 12.

16-l7 indicate wooden cap plates preferably made of hard maple, being secured to the tubular bars l415, respectively, by lag screws or any other suitable devices. As will be readily understood, the metal bars 1415 and their cap plates 1617 comprise What are hereinafter termed the slide-bars.

1819 indicate guards, in the construction shown being substantially arc-shaped in form, the ends of said guards being bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the slidebars and to the sidebars of the ladder near their upper ends.

20 indicates a seat, one end of which is supported by brackets extending over the top round of the ladder, the other end being supported from the slide-bars l617 by means of bracket and pin connections of any suitable type. As is best shown in Fig. 6, the seat 20 extends forward beyond the foremost point of the guards 18-19.

As will be readily understood, the user of this device mounts the ladder l3, grasps the guards 18l9 and seats himself upon the edge of the seat 20 with his legs hanging over the slide-bars 16-17. He then throws his balance forward and in this position slides down the slide-bars 16-17.

'While I prefer to use a cap plate composed of'wood, as above described, it will be readily understood that I do not restrict myself to this form of cap plate except as hereinafter specifically claimed.

That which I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. In an amusement device, the combination of a standard, a pair of oppositely disposed slide-bars supported in an inclined position by said standard, and a seat supported between said slide-bars near their upper ends upon which the user of the device 1(12in sit preparatory to sliding down said ars.

2. In an amusement device, the combination of a standard, a pair of oppositely-disposed slide-bars supported in an inclined position by said standard, a guard adapted to be grasped by the user of the device, and a seat supported between said slide-bars near their upper ends extending in advance of said guard, upon which seat the vuser can sit preparatory to sliding down said bars.

3. In anamusement device, the combination of a standard, a pair of oppositely-disposed slide-bars supported in, an incline position by said standard, a ladder leading to the upper ends of said slide-bars, and a seat extending from said ladder to said slide-bars near their upper ends upon which seat the user of the device can sit preparatory to sliding down said bars.

4. In an amusement device, the combination of a standard, a'ladder supported at its upper end by said standard, a slide bar also supported at its upper end by said standard, and a seat extending from said standard to said ladder near their upper ends contiguous to said slide bar. 7 1 WILLIAM S. TOTHILL. WVitnesses:

y W. H. DE BUsK, W. A. FURNNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. r r 

